Los Angeles County
Biographies
HERBERT
JAMES GOUDGE
Among the distinguished members of the California bar, men who have fully upheld the traditions and ideals of their profession, a prominent place is occupied by Herbert J. Goudge, senior member of the well known law firm of Goudge, Robinson & Hughes, of Los Angeles. He has been active in the practice of his profession for more than 30 years, and is recognized as one of the leaders of the state bar.
Mr. Goudge is a native of England, and was born in 1863 in London. After attending the City of London School, City of London College and King's College, he spent several years traveling throughout Europe and the American continent. In 1888 he located at New York, but a few months later moved to California and engaged in fruit culture at Ventura. His legal training was obtained through private study, and in 1894 he was admitted to the California bar.
The following year Mr. Goudge moved to Los Angeles and entered the private practice of law. In 1900 he became Assistant City Attorney, in which capacity he served for six years, taking a leading part in the acquisition by the city of the Owens River water rights and also the plant and equipment of the City Water Company. In addition to these accomplishments it was largely through his efforts that the Los Angeles River bed was preserved from private exploitation.
Mr. Goudge is also known as the father of the Los Angeles building height limit law, which has profoundly influenced the growth and development of the city. Situated on a vast plain between the mountains and the sea, with many square miles of space to take care of future growth, the city had no overpowering economic necessity for crowding the entire business district in a few blocks by means of skyscrapers which shut out the sunshine and fresh air from the narrow streets between. Mr. Goudge early realized this fact, and began a campaign which ended in the enacting of the present law, whose provisions he took the lead in drafting.
In 1906 Mr. Goudge re-entered private practice as a member of the firm of Cochran, Williams, Goudge & Chandler, which has since assumed its present form of Goudge, Robinson & Hughes. He engages in general civil practice, specializing in corporation, commercial, insurance and banking law. In addition to his legal practice he has a number of outside interests and he is a Director of various corporations.
The firm of which Mr. Goudge is senior member represents as Counsel many important interests, among which are the Pacific National Bank, Bishop & Company, Metcalfe & Ryan, St. Anthony Mining & Development Company, Sugar Pine Lumber Company, Santa Monica Land & Water Company, Santa Monica Mountain Park Company, Minarets & Western Railway Company, and others.
Mr. Goudge is a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of California and Los Angeles County Bar Association, as well as the Los Angeles County Horticultural Society, Southwest chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America, California Club, Sunset Club and other organizations. He is president of the Municipal League, and one of the directors of the City Club and of the Southern California Academy of Sciences. In 1892 he married Nellie Agnes Tigbe and they are the parents of three children, Agnes, George and Mildred.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Source: "American Blue Book California Lawyers"
by H. James Boswell, Pages
56-57, Produced by H.
James Boswell, 1928.
© 2008 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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BIOGRAPIES